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The differences between cyber security engineers and architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a cyber security engineer, becoming an architect takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a cyber security engineer has an average salary of $99,492, which is higher than the $86,635 average annual salary of an architect.
The top three skills for a cyber security engineer include cyber security, python and linux. The most important skills for an architect are cloud, java, and infrastructure.
| Cyber Security Engineer | Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $99,492 | $86,635 |
| Hourly rate | $47.83 | $41.65 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 73,419 | 94,621 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A cyber security engineer specializes in designing and establishing security measures to protect a company's network and data from hackers or cyber attacks. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around planning and implementing cyber security systems, responding to any problems or concerns, handling security breaches and emergencies, and troubleshooting to identify any issues or vulnerabilities. Moreover, a cyber security engineer may perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and documentation, creating instructional materials for systems, managing schedules, and coordinating with department managers, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Architects are licensed professionals who specialize in art and science of design, building constructions, and structures. They play a vital role in the construction and not only responsible for the appearance but also the safety of users. They ensure that every structure is functional, safe, cost-effective, and suit the needs of the future occupants. They closely monitor the working progress to make sure that the project is built according to plan. Some architects are focused mainly on creating designs while some are exclusive in the production of building plans or "blueprints".
Cyber security engineers and architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cyber Security Engineer | Architect | |
| Average salary | $99,492 | $86,635 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $131,000 | Between $54,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Dotdash | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a cyber security engineer and an architect in terms of educational background:
| Cyber Security Engineer | Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Architecture |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between cyber security engineers' and architects' demographics:
| Cyber Security Engineer | Architect | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.6% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 16.0% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 15% |